Picture Gallery: Popular Funnell returns to the top despite the weather's attempts to spoil the party

Pippa Funnell won the senior CCI three-star competition for the third time, the others were in 1992 and 2002, putting in an assured performance with Redesigned in the final show-jumping phase.

She left the arena punching the air with delight after clinching victory and said afterwards: "I'm really, really excited.

"I have always loved this horse and he's always been special. He just needs to mature a bit."

It was a busy weekend for Funnell who was also competing in the BSJA showjumping classes.

She runs a stud with her husband, showjumper Will Funnell and rode one of their Billy stud horses in the 1.3m open class yesterday morning, when she was placed second. That helped calm her nerves before her final battle for the Bramham title and its 4,300 prize.

She also notched up another win yesterday in the Pro-Am Pairs competition where she was partnered with Astier Nicolas.

Bramham proved to be a happy hunting ground again for Piggy French, who took second and third places in the CCI three-star with Lemington Lets Dance and Jakata.

"They were good boys," said French, obviously thrilled with their performance.

Jakata is a new ride for her and she was very pleased with how he had coped with the cross country course and now hopes to do a four-star event with him. French was placed third here last year with Some Day Soon and went on to win individual silver at the European Championships.

Northallerton's Nicola Wilson finished in 10th place with Bee Diplomatic, bred by Rosemary Search, and she came fourth in the Pro-Am Pairs competition with Victoria Adderley. Gary Parsonage, from Beverley, finished in 12th place with Fernhill O'Dea.

It proved to be a brilliant Bramham for the young French rider Donatien Schauly who carried off two of the top prizes. Schauly won both the CIC three- star event and the Bishop Burton College Under-25 Championship.

It was quite a coup for Schauly, just a few days short of his 25th birthday, who won the senior event on his dressage score of 46.9, seven points ahead of Australia's Paul Tapner, who came second with Kilfinnie 11. Emily Baldwin retained her third place after the showjumping with an assured performance with Drivetime.

Schauly said that his success on Saturday in the CIC three-star had given him confidence for the final, showjumping phase of the Under-25 Championship yesterday and his horse Seculaire had been a pleasure to ride.

Gemma Tattersall, from Horsham, was thrilled with her performance and second place in the Under-25 Championship.

Her horse, Kings Gem, came from Mary King's stable and this was their first three-day event.

Kings Gem completed the cross country strongly despite having pulled off three shoes en route and finished with a faultless showjumping round.

"She was just amazing, I'm just so very proud of her," said Tattersall.

"This is the first time at this event I have felt like I have had a proper partnership with a horse."

Ian Stark's first cross country course for Bramham proved to be a major test for horse and rider.

It was a course that needed both accuracy and bold riding and the new water complex was one of several challenges. But most of the riders liked the course including last year's winner Andrew Nicholson who said: "Good on him for changing things and making a big, attacking course."

Oliver Townend ended up making a fairly fleeting appearance after retiring with new ride Imperial Master at the third fence on the cross country in the CIC three star.

He had originally entered Ashdale Cruise Master but ran him at Tattersalls in Ireland two weekends ago instead where they won, a considerable boost for Townend after his crashing fall from this horse in Lexington, Kentucky.

Top riders and prizewinners at Bramham

CCI three-star

1 Pippa Funnell, Redesigned (GB)

2 Piggy French, Lemington Lets Dance (GB)

3 Piggy French, Jakata (GB)

4 Caroline Powell, Mac Macdonald (New Zealand)

5 William Fox-Pitt, Neuf des Coeurs (GB)

CIC three-star

1 Donatien Schauly, Ocarina du Chanois (France)

2 Paul Tapner, Kilfinnie 11 (Australia)

3 Emily Baldwin, Drivetime (GB)

4 Ruth Edge, Carnaval Prince 11 (GB)

5 Mark Todd, Chuckleberry (New Zealand)

Bishop Burton College Under-25 CCI three-star

1 Donatien Schauly, Seculaire (France)

2 Gemma Tattersall, Kings Gem (GB)

3 Maxime Livio, Jaipur 11 (France)

4 Flora Harris, Law Choice (GB)

5 Lauren Shannon, Quixotic (GB)